Machine for screw-threading wire



(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. OAVALLI.

MACHINE FOR SCREW THRBADING WIRE No. 312,084. I Patented Feb. 10, 1885.

m Attorney.

7 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Y A. GA VALLL I MACHINE FOR SGREWTH-READING WIRE- No. 312,084. Patented Feb; 10, 1885.

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Attorney.

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yman A. OAVALLL 7 Sheets-Sheet 3.

MAGHINE FOB, SCREW THREADING WIRE. No. 312,084. Patented Feb. 10, 1885.

v Attorney- (No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 A. OAVALLI.

MACHINE FOR SCREW THREADING WIRE. No. 312,084. Patented Feb. 10, 1885.

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(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 5.

A. GAVALLI.

MACHINE FOR SCREW THREADINGWIRE. No. 312,084.

Patented Feb. 10', 1885.

JlllJllIlllll mm l WITNESS:

Attorney. 6\

N. PETERS. PhowLilhngnihor. Washingion. D, C.

(N0 Model.) 7 SheetsSheet 6.

A; GAVALLI.

MAGHINE FOR SCREW THREADING WIRE. No. 312,084. Patented Feb. 10, 1885.

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(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 7. A. GAVALLI.

MACHINE FOR SCREW THREADING WIRE. N6 312.084. Patented Feb. 10, 1885.

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ANDREA OAVALLI, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

MACHINE FOR SCREW-THREADING WIRE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 312,081, dated February 10, 1885.

Arplicntion filed September 7, 1883. (No model.)

To otZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREA OAvALLI, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, in the State of California, have made and invented certain new and useful Improvements in Forming Spiral-Threaded-Wire Fastenings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of my said invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings by figures and letters.

My invention relates to the production and manufacture of serew-fastenings, for use in the various arts and trades, as a substitute for nails and other metal fastenings, and in place of sewing and stitching.

The object sought to be attained is to form a spirally grooved or threaded wire by compressing the substance of the wire instead of by cutting or chasing the groove; and I accomplish this by combining together a set of grooved circular rolls around a center, and in such position that the space inclosed by the peripheral grooves forms a circular aperture. These rolls are therefore circular revolving dies, their grooves are suitably milled, and they are geared together to rotate in time. By combined pressure and rotation they form a continuous spiral thread in and around a length of wire that is caused to pass through them. Areel at the front and a set of feeding or drawing rollers constitute the means for presenting the wire and carrying it forward at suitable tension. In connection with this part or feature of my invention I employ aseparate finishing device to remove burrs and produce a smooth continuous groove or thread.

The following description fully explains the nature of my said invention, and the manner in which the same is constructed, combined, arranged, carried out, and employed by me.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with and to attain the objects of my invention. Fig. 2 is a top view of the machine, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front View of the head or frame and the revolving dies. Fig. at shows the frame and the drivinggears in vertical section. Fig. 5 is a section taken through the center of the vertical dies of the set in a plane transverse to the section Fig. 4.. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 show details of the reel. Fig. 9 is a horizontal central section ofthe winding-drum, mandrel, chuck, and feeding-rollers. Fig. 10 is a partial side elevation and vertical section of the same. Fig. 1O shows in detail the mouth-piece for the mandrel. Fig. 11 shows an elevation and sectionof the dru1nhead;'Fig. 12, a vertical section of the chuck taken transversely to the line of the machine. Fig. 13 is a vertical section of the same, taken in the longitudinal line of the machine. Fig. 1i shows details of the chuck-dies.

The parts of a complete machine include a reel, 0, to hold a coil of wire,the thread-forming dies A, the drawing-rolls B, to draw off from the reel and feed or advance the wire through the dies, a set of finishingdies, and a winding-drum, D, to take up the finished wire and form it in coils for future use. A machine of such structure and parts handles the Wire and performs all the operations mechanically. The thread-formingdies and the finishing mechanism may be used separately, however, and as two distinct tools or devices to which the wire can be presented in two successive operations and at different times, instead of being arranged in close relation to I each other, as they are hereinshown. Asuitable bench or frame, 1 2, is provided, and on the front end thereof abracket, 3, is bolted to support a head or frame, A. In this bracket are bearings for a driving-shaft, 5, and the back plate of the head is secured to the same by a hollow bolt taking through the ears of the bracket. This bolt is a sleeve having the drivingshaft 5 passed through it. The head is a solid block, 7, with a circular recess in the front fitted with a removable block, 8, in which are bearings for the shafts of the set of revolving dies. Segmental cavities at the back of the recess conform to the shape of the dies, and the back of the block 8 is recessed correspondingly, so that each die works in a close circular recess or chamber in the head. The two sections, Figs. 4 and 5, taken at right angles to each other, will enable the form of these chambers to be understood. The front block, 8, is secured in the head 7 by screws. Bearings for the shafts or spindles 17, that carry the revolving dies, are provided in the two parts 7 8, and the spindles then extend across the circular chambers, one at each chamber, and at the inner ends rest in bearings in the block 8, their outer ends projecting outside the rim or edge of the head far enough to take the bevel and spur. gears by which connection of the whole set of spindles is made, and the required uniform and positive rotation together is effected. The dies are circular disks 16, having concentric concave grooves with milled faces around the center of their rims. The form and size of this groovein each dieis governed by the number of dies employed in the head. In the construction here shown and described a set of four.dies is employed, and the milled groove in each die constitutes a quarter of the entire circle of the aperture through which the wire is drawn; but in changing the number of dies it will be evident that the groove in the rim of each .die in the set will require a corresponding change to form a segment of the complete circle required. The edges of the dies 16 are beveled to give inclined faces around the rim, so that when the grooves are properly brought together the beveled faces will run closely against one another in the set and bring the edges of the milled grooves into exact line to form a complete circle. In a set of four dies these beveled edges will have an angle of forty-five degrees with the face of the die. If a different number of dies are used, these bevels will be changed accordingly. Through the circular aperture formed by the milled grooves a length of wire is drawn by the joint action of the revolving dies and the feeding or drawing rollers behind the head. The simultaneous and uniform rotation of the dies is produced by the system of gears shown in full and in sectional views, Figs. 3 and 4. The spindle of each die has a bevel-gear, 11, and a spur-wheel, 12, both fast and turning regularly together. Interposed between one spindle and the next is a short spindle or stud, 13, fixed into the body of the block 7, and carrying two idler-gears, 14 15, one a bevel and the other a spur wheel. The idler-gears run loosely on the stud, al-

though they are coupled or locked together to run regularly and one drive the other. By the combination of these bevel and spur gears the motion is transmitted from one die-spindle around the corner of the block 7 to the next die-spindle at right angles. The bevelpinion 14 receives motion from the spur-gears 12 15, and by engagement with the bevel-gear 11 of the next spindle 17 the connection between every two die-spindles is completed. The spur-wheel 12 of the lowest horizontal spindle, 17, meshes with the spur-wheel 6 on the driving-shaft 5, and the entire set of dies receives motion, through the combination of gears and spindles, from a single driver. The feeding-rolls are fixed in a box, 20, bolted to the front of the stock or head 19, at the rear end of the bench, by bolts 18. The rolls are small disks or wheels with concave faces or rims suitably grooved to engage with the spiral groove or thread in the wire, and they passage for the wire. the finishing-dies by which the burrs or rough Rotation of this spindle 32 is obtained by the pulley 31, and the driving-pinion 29 is situated on the extreme end of the spindle against the face of the chuck, and is hollow to afl'ord In the chuck are fixed edges and film left on the wire in the spiral threads are turned off and a smooth continuous groove produced around the wire for any required length. As the wire has no rotary motion, but only a progression through the parts of the machine, these finishing-dies are rotated while the wire passes through them. The chuck carries four small dies or removable jaws set radially, and held and moved by set-screws 34, the edges of which jaws being notched or serrated to correspond with the size of the spiral groove previously formed in the wire, and by engagement therewith turn off and finish the edges of the spiral thread by the revolving motion of the spindle. A degree of tensionnpon the wire sufiicient to keep it properly distended and to produce uniform 'movement through the dies is maintained by This wheel 44 is provided with a pawl, 44*,

which engages with a ratchet, 44*, fast upon the shaft 38, so that the shaft 38 will be moved when the wheel- 44 is moved; but the shaft 38 may be rotated independently of the wheel, and this is done by means of the crank 42. This crank and independent movement of the shaft 38 are provided for the purpose of partially winding up the spring contained in the drum before starting the machine. By winding up the spring at the beginning sufficient power is accumulated, that of course could not be obtained by the action of the gearing alone upon the spring. The crank therefore affords means for starting with any degree of tension on the wire ,required in working the machine. The frame 41 has one side, 40, jointed, so that it may be opened and one head of the drum taken off to remove the coiled wire as often as the drum is filled. The cylinder 35 of the drum is hollow, and contains a spring-barrel connected to the axle 38, so that when wound up it shall by reaction maintain an increased tension or pull upon the wire. This spring is wound up for action by applying a crank, 42, to the axle, the neoessary ratchet and pawl being provided to hold the spring when wound. This spring is frame behind.

brought into action at the time when the accumulating coils of wire have increased the diameter of the drum, and at such time it serves to relieve the shaft 36 and gears from the increasing strain. 7 One of the heads of the winding-drum is fast to the barrel. The other head is made detachable, so that the fastenings holding the side tO of the frame be ing first removed, this head can be taken off and the finished coil slipped from the barrel. A pawl, 43, is thrown over to engage with notches in the rim of the head 39, for the purpose of locking the drum when the winding up of the spring takes place. At the front of the'frame or bench an arm, 45, carriesa reel, 0, from which wire in a continuous length can be drawn by the mechanism upon the This reel is of such construction that it is readily set and fixed into the center of a bundle of wire in the coil as it is put upon the market, so that special winding for the purposes of this machine is not required, and the time and labor necessary to properly prepare and fix wire in the coil are dispensed with. The reel is composed of three separate arms pivoted on a central hub, so that they can be closed up one upon the other, and also beset apart radially. In this latter position, for service, the arms are held at equal distance apart by the conjoint action of the stops 51, the notches 52 on the inner ends of the arms, and the spring-catch 49. The arms 47 have wire hooks 48 on the sides to take the wire. In its closed position the reel can be readily placed in the middle of a coil of wire, and on being opened out and set radially at equal distance the locking studs and notches 51 52 and the spring-catch, with its hooked end 50, operate to keep the reel distendedand fixed for service. In this manner I construct a machine having the capacity to turn out a spirallygrooved wire in the form of a cable or a continuous length, and to produce them at a low cost of manufacture. Such grooved wire is useful for uniting soles to boot and shoe uppers, in harness-work, and in light cabinet-Work. The wire is fed to the revolving chuck by the rollers 24in the head 20, one roller being geared into the spindle by gears 23 and the short worm-shaft 22, and the other roller receives motion from the spindle of its fellow through the gears 27. The spindle 32 is hollow and carries on the end the chuck 28, formed of a solid disk in which are fixed two sets of cutters or finishing-dies, 70, having movement in their slots or seats in the chuck toward the center to take up wear and regulate the depth of the cut or finishing action upon the grooved wire. These cutters are set in pairs diametrically across the disk; but one set is placed back of the other, and not in the same plane, so that the wire in its passage is acted on by one and then by the other of the sets. Each movable die is confined in place by a block, 72, that is fixed into the end of the recess and held by a screw, 73, and a thumbscrew, 34, working through a threaded socket in the block, and has its point set against the head of the die beneath, so that the block 72 is fixed and they the general cutting or finishing edge of the general tool. This adjustment is effected by means of the thumb-screw 34, the point of which is set against the head of this chaser, as shown in Fig. 12. This movable piece 74 is set into a groove, 75, in the body of the cutter. The spindle 32 is rotated by the pulley 31, that receives motion through a belt from a convenient shaft-pulley overhead, and from the same source both the feeding-rollers and the winding-drum are operated, the spindle being geared into the feed-rolls, as before-described, at one end, and into the drum at the other end by the shaft 36, the gears 33 3t, and the worm 37 and gear 44, the gear being loose on the journal of the drum and the worm being on the shaft. Into the outer end of the spindle, where the fin ished wire passes out to the drum, is inserted a stationary tube, 60, with afiaring mouth, the office of which is to prevent contact of the rapidly-revolving surface at the open end of the spindle with the finished surface of the wire. Thispiece or tube 60 is part of a bracket, 61, by which it is fixed to the frame of the machine. This protection is necessary to keep the wire from being rubbed and the finished surface destroyed by the motion of the spindle, as this part runs at avery high speed in operation. To permit the coiled wire to be taken from the drum as often as it becomes filled, it is provided with aremovable head, and one side of the frame is formed of a separate bar detachable from the other side. This bar 40 has eyes in the ends that fit over the studs or pins 33 on the fixed part of the frame, and keys or wedges arefitted into slots in these pins to hold the bar in place. The head 39 is locked to the end of the barrel 35 by means of slots 63 63 in the head, and screws or buttons on the end of the barrel, as will be readily understood from the detail views, Fig. 11. This construction enables the drum to be emptied as often as it is filled, and the finished wire to be formed into coils of any desired size.

A clamping device to hold the end of the wire at the beginning of the winding operation is provided on one of the heads. It consists of asmall pivoted dog, 66, pivoted tothe head 65, and having a bent end that works through a slot, 64, in the head. The end of this part is notched or roughened, and being carried through the slot in the manner shown, is brought next to the surface of the drum, so that it'is sufficiently close to this surface to clamp and hold the end of the wire between them.

, The reel for containing the wire is not claimed in this application, it having been made the subject-matter of an application for patent filed August 29, 1884, Serial N 0. 141,7 91.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for forming grooved cablewire fastenings for use in boot and shoe work and similar purposes, as described, the combination of a head having a central aperture around which are arranged grooved revolving circular dies, and the mechanism by which uniform rotation is imparted to said dies, a set of feed-rollers having regular rotation and adapted to engage with and draw the wire forward through said head and between the revolving dies thereof, a revolving head or chuck carrying a set of finishing-dies and placed in line with the travel of the wire, so that the action of the feed-rollers shall move the wire regularly forward through saidrevolving head, and a winding-up drum having rotation regularly with respect to the feedrollers, all substantially as hereinbefore de scribed.

2. The combination, in a suitable head or frame, of aset of spindles, 17, carrying grooved circular dies, a set of intermediate idler-spingears 11 12 14 15, by which positive and nniform rotation of all the dies is effected.

3. The combination, in a suitable frame, of 35 the spindles 17, carrying the grooved revolving dies, the intermediate spindles or studs, 13, the bevel-gears 11 14: and spur-gears 12 15, the driving-shaft 5, geared into one of said spindles, a reel in front of said revolving dies to hold a coil of wire, and a means,as the drum, spring; and winding-gears described, for drawing off the wire from the coil and through the said dies at suitable-speed and tension, as hereinbefore described.

4. In ,a machine for threading wire, the combination, with the revolving spindle and chuck carried thereby, of the stationary flaring mouth-piece 60, held inthe exit end of the spindle, and the winding-drum and operating mechanism, as described.

5. The combination, with the revolving chuck-carrying spindle 32, of the winding-up drum, and the coilspring and winding mecln anism, consisting of the gears and worm-shaft, constructed substantially as described, to operate as set forth.

ANDREA CAVALLI. n s.]

\Vitnesses:

EDWARD E. OSBORN, J NO. L. TAGGARD. 

